HTAA e-Bulletin April 2016

Professional Teachers’ Council Award winners Anne Gripton (left) and Robyn Receiving the Innovative Association of the Year Award at World Teachers Day are HTASA The Renee Erdos Award winner Kate Cameron (left) with McKenzie (right) with HTANSW President Toni Hurley. Committee members (L to R) David Albano (Secretary), Malcolm Massie (Vice-President), HTANSW President Toni Hurley. Mandi Dimitriadis and Elizabeth Heuzenroeder.

Issue 09 | April 2016 Welcome 4 Simpson Prize Report Dear colleagues, 5 Calendar It is a privilege and an honour to welcome for your students to embrace these you to our first 2016 HTAA E-Bulletin. excellent competitions. Every six months the E-Bulletin provides 6 Western In conclusion, I wish you well in all of you with a snapshot of what is happening your history teaching endeavours in this 7 across the nation in History learning academic year. Please remember your communities. 9 local History Teacher Association is I would like to also recognise the ready to assist and support you in myriad 11 leadership and work of outgoing ways. They are indeed extraordinary 12 HTAA President Louise Secker. We are organisations run by professional and fortunate that Louise will continue experienced teachers who are eager to 13 as Vice-President and we welcome assist you with your classroom practice. Dr Rosalie Triolo as our other Vice- Kind regards, 14 Australian Capital President. In addition, a warm welcome Territory is extended to Pip Macdonald as our new Paul Foley HTAA Treasurer. HTAA President We have already had our first professional development event for the year conducted by HTANSW, which in mid-January ran an exciting program on Norfolk Island. On the mainland, HTAV is congratulated on the successful management of the HTAA National Conference in Melbourne in October, and we are excited by the potential offerings at this year’s HTAA Conference in Sydney. In the meantime, the theme for the 2016 National History Challenge and the 2017 Simpson Prize Question and sources are available online. With the 2016 Australian History Competition available for year 7-10 students there has never been a better time or more opportunity

1 2016 NATIONAL HISTORY CONFERENCE HTAA e-Bulletin MARCH 2015 13 April 2016 The History Teachers’ Association of NSW will be hosting the

VALE Emeritus Scholar Dr John Hirst (9 July 1942–5 February 2016) 2016 HTAA Conference Challenging History at Sydney Grammar School, College Street, Sydney on The History Teachers’ Association of Australia mourns the sudden passing of historian John Hirst and acknowledges sincerely his sustained and positive contributions of dif- 28–30 September 2016 ferent kinds to History Education in Australian schools. n the heart of the city, the 2016 National Conference will be located within a short walk of many of John’s rigorous and most readable research has served teachers and senior History Sydney’s outstanding attractions and will be convenient to public transport and accommodation options. students over many decades, with numerous of his works featuring still as essential I or recommended reading in the ‘Senior History’ documents of several states and ter- The theme will be Challenging History, highlighting the need to support colleagues in teaching history, to ritories. John was an especially strong advocate of the study of Australian and Modern deal with challenging histories and to challenge orthodox assumptions. The program will feature a range histories, yet was able to contribute purposefully to curriculum and other discussions of presentation modes designed to promote an exchange of ideas around topical themes. on the full range of topics. Even when he held different views to those being expressed around him, he bore no grudges and enjoyed and valued such debate. Full Details Up to date information will be posted regularly on the Conference Webpage: In recent years and with national impact, John contributed to the development of ACARA secondary History documents and spoke at numerous HTA and HTAA www.htansw.asn.au/pd/htaa-national-conference conferences nationally about the content of such curriculum and his hopes for positive implementation. His final keynote at an HTAA conference hosted by HTANSW Key Dates in2010 delighted audiences, all the more for his preference to use a large whiteboard 18 March Call for Papers closes and whiteboard marker on the stage of a well-resourced school to effectively April Program published demonstrate the commonalities and divergences of different nations’ histories. May/June Registrations open As a resident of Victoria and lecturer at La Trobe University, John Hirst contributed to developments over several decades of versions of HSC and VCE histories, with special reference to Australian and Twentieth Century histories. He presented over the same period at HTAV Conference Supporters HSC and VCE student lectures and was an individual speaker or panellist at its teacher conferences. HTANSW would like to acknowledge our Conference Partner, Sydney Living Museums. HTANSW would also like to acknowledge the generous support of Sydney Grammar School, Academy Travel, the Consul Those of John’s tertiary students who became History teachers, and many other teachers and HTA representatives who worked with General of Greece and the National Maritime Museum. him, remember him warmly for his intellect, independent thinking, wit, generosity of time and good nature overall.

Dr Rosalie Triolo At Sydney Living Museums your students will discover past lives, events and stories On behalf of HTAA in the places where they actually unfolded. Book your excursion today!

Sydney Mint, the Conference Dinner venue 2 Image courtesy of Sydney Living Museums © Nicholas Watt 2016 NATIONAL HISTORY CONFERENCE HTAA e-Bulletin MARCH 2015 13 April 2016 The History Teachers’ Association of NSW will be hosting the

2016 HTAA Conference Challenging History at Sydney Grammar School, College Street, Sydney on 28–30 September 2016

n the heart of the city, the 2016 National Conference will be located within a short walk of many of ISydney’s outstanding attractions and will be convenient to public transport and accommodation options. The theme will be Challenging History, highlighting the need to support colleagues in teaching history, to deal with challenging histories and to challenge orthodox assumptions. The program will feature a range of presentation modes designed to promote an exchange of ideas around topical themes.

Full Details Up to date information will be posted regularly on the Conference Webpage: www.htansw.asn.au/pd/htaa-national-conference

Key Dates 18 March Call for Papers closes April Program published May/June Registrations open

Conference Supporters HTANSW would like to acknowledge our Conference Partner, Sydney Living Museums. HTANSW would also like to acknowledge the generous support of Sydney Grammar School, Academy Travel, the Consul General of Greece and the National Maritime Museum.

At Sydney Living Museums your students will discover past lives, events and stories in the places where they actually unfolded. Book your excursion today!

Sydney Mint, the Conference Dinner venue Image courtesy of Sydney Living Museums © Nicholas Watt 3 HTAA e-Bulletin April 2016

Simpson Prize Report

The HTAA, and particularly the HTAA Secretariat, is most grateful to all HTAA and HTA Affiliate members who supported the Simpson Prize in 2015. Last year’s question and sources centred on the following proposition and question: “The landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 is often given prominence in accounts of the Gallipoli campaign. What other events or experiences of the campaign would you argue require more attention? Why?” It was most heartening to witness a genuine interest in the ‘other stories’ of the Gallipoli Campaign. We continue to witness teachers, especially of Year 9 students, recognise the benefits of using the Simpson Prize as a ready-made source-based assessment activity which contains depth and variety in the selected historical sources. A wonderful aspect of the Simpson Prize is its ability to draw students into the experience of analysing sources and balancing their written response with research they have personally gathered, to either support or challenge aspects of the question. The talented winners and runners-up of the 2016 Simpson Prize, along with their teacher chaperones, gathered in Canberra in March for a very enjoyable presentation ceremony at Parliament House, at which the Hon. Dan Tehan MP, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, presented the students with their awards and acknowledged their exceptional work. The students also enjoyed guided tours of the Australian War Memorial and visits to other significant sites in our nation’s capital. The Simpson Prize question each year corresponds with the events which are being commemorated in that year, hence the 2017 question relates to the tragic experiences of the Western Front. The question formally launched at Parliament House in March was: “The experience of Australian soldiers on the Western Front in 1916 has been largely overlooked in accounts of World War One. To what extent would you argue that battles such as Fromelles and Pozières should feature more prominently in accounts of World War One?” I encourage each and every one of you in your respective schools to embrace the 2017 Simpson Prize. Paul Foley Chair, Simpson Prize

Winners and Runners-up of the 2016 Simpson Prize, with their teacher chaperones, at the Australian War Memorial, March 2016.

4 HTAA e-Bulletin April 2016

Calendar

This calendar is a monthly guide to what is coming up in 2016. Events are subject to change. Please visit each state association’s website for more information about the events and professional learning sessions that you see on the calendar.

May June HTAA National Conference Program released 4 GHTANT AGM 23 HTAV/GTAV Primary Conference 25 QHTA State Conference 25 Australian History Competition

July August 4-8 Australian Historial Association Conference 26 National History Challenge entries close 20-21 HTAV Annual Conference 26 HTASA Conference

September October 28-30 HTAA National Conference, Sydney Grammar 21 HTAV Middle Years Conference

November December 11 Simpson Prize entries close Competitions

National The Simpson History Prize Challenge

The National History Challenge (NHC) is an exciting contest ’ that encourages students to use research and inquiry- based learning to discover more about the past. Students ENTRIES CLOSE: 11 November 2016 are the historians. They can investigate their community, explore their own and their family’s past and consider ideas A competition for Year 9 and 10 students throughout history. The NHC encourages the use of primary The 2017 Simpson Prize Question requires students to and secondary sources and offers a variety of presentation respond to the question using both the 2017 Simpson Prize styles. It rewards students with generous cash prizes and travel opportunities. Australian War Memorial Source Selection and their own research. It is expected that students will make effective The theme for the National History Challenge in 2016 use of a minimum of three of the sources. It is also expected is “Triumph or Tragedy?”. All entries must incorporate a that up to half of their response will make use of information response to the theme. drawn from their own knowledge and research. Students may use one of the following formats: Individual Research Essay, Museum Exhibit or Other. Entries via www.simpsonprize.org ◾NEW in 2016! Primarystudents up to and including Year 4 may now enter the NHC! Entries via www.historychallenge.org.au

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Western Australia T: 08 6102 2594 E: [email protected] W: http://htawa.org.au

Well, when you have a committee as dedicated and professional as HTAWA you are going to get some awesome things happening and 2015 was no exception! We ran successful professional learning opportunities for a wide range of teachers, including Teacher Meets for primary and secondary teachers at the State Library in June, and a historical inquiry session leading up to teachers from K-10 preparing for the National History Challenge (looking at referencing, sourcing and presenting information, structuring the NHC as a research enquiry, whole-school approaches to NHC and incorporating computers). In August we ran professional learning on the new ATAR courses for Year 12, which had over 80 teachers attending, and several sessions over the semester looking at teaching source analysis skills to Years 7-10 and upper school.

Our student seminar days were very successful and we introduced two Year 11 sessions which we plan to continue. We have found that running teacher professional learning concurrently with student seminar sessions has encouraged more students to attend.

Our committee members had a busy semester, with Emily Dondars being nominated for WA Beginner Teacher of the Year - congratulations to Emily for becoming a state finalist (we were very proud). Roseanne Leece and Robyn Cleaver accompanied 32 Year 9-12 students to Gallipoli for the Centenary as part of the Premier’s ANZAC Prize and Louise Secker went to Israel as part of the Gandel Holocaust Institute Educators program. We also supported SCSA recognition of Tom Lorek (a past HTAWA President), who retired from teaching at the end of 2015, for his contribution to WA history teaching. Tom has worked tirelessly to support history education and deserves his break. Sadly, WA history lost Professor Geoffrey Bolton. Geoffrey was a friend of HTAWA, a great WA historian, and in 2006 he was named WA Australian of the Year and awarded an Order of Australia.

HTAWA, with Ryebuck Media, the RSL and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, ran the successful Spirit of ANZAC Youth Challenge Program; we congratulate Robyn Cleaver for co-ordinating this. Maree Whitely was very busy in the primary space, organising professional learning opportunities across the state, including the Stories of Place Primary History and Geography Conference in July, which featured Jackie French as the keynote, and a GLAM Teacher Meet in November, to name a few events.

I want to congratulate the committee for all their hard work with the National History Challenge. I especially thank Ian Murray for his tireless efforts with the NHC and Simpson Prize. WA produced some excellent work this year and the committee, by supporting WA teachers, helped make this possible.

Merredith Southee worked relentlessly to produce an excellent resource on Dirk Hartog, which was launched at our state conference in March, as part of a joint project between HTAWA and the WA Government. Louise Secker, Cathy Baron and Jan Giles also worked with the Education Department of WA on a Noongar History teaching resource package.

2015 was a year of significant change in WA. The new WACE (senior secondary) courses began and Year 7 was incorporated into high school for the first time. The biggest change for us was the retirement of Louise Secker as State President, after leading our dedicated committee for 9 years. Louise has made a fantastic contribution to history education in WA and brought an incredible wealth of knowledge. Her role at HTAWA cannot be lauded enough and she left VERY large shoes to fill. As a committee we are very grateful for the excellent position Louise left HTAWA in and are happy she has kindly stayed on as a Vice President (Immediate Past President). There is, of course, one questionable remnant of her reign: I won’t say anything about the orange polo shirts we now wear, but at least the new ones come in something smaller than men’s large.

David Murray once again did an amazing job of co-ordinating us all, continuing to play a vital part in keeping things flowing. I don’t know what we would do without him. Thanks also to Brad Snell, the excellent HTAWA secretary and one of our IT gurus. Brad, Maree and Alycia Bermingham have played key roles in dragging our social media effort into the twenty-first century.

At the 2016 state conference in March, ‘Changing Paradigms’, we had Alex Cole (CEO WA Museums) as the keynote and many wonderful workshops. We have a big committee at present (25 people), so watch out for the many things we will be doing in 2016, and my attempts to do half the things Louise did!

Cathy Baron

HTAWA President

6 HTAA e-Bulletin April 2016

Queensland

T: 07 3254 3342 E: [email protected] W: http://qhta.com.au

As is almost always the way, the strength of an organisation lies in its members, and the Queensland History Teachers’ Association is no different. Thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of our members, Patrons, presenters and Executive, 2015 was a successful year for QHTA, with an increased focus on moving beyond the south-east and supporting teachers of history in northern and regional Queensland.

Student seminars

For many years, QHTA has offered Senior Student Seminars in both Ancient and Modern History, which consist of two one-hour presentations examining written and visual historical sources. In 2015, Dr Tom Stevenson and Dr Cailian Davenport once again presented the Ancient History Seminars, enabling students from Year 11 and 12 to engage in a close examination of selected ancient sources, and to consider not only what motivated their creation but what they revealed about their respective civilisations. The Modern History seminars were presented by Dr Brian Hoepper and Mr Ian Gray, who spoke about terrorism and interpretations of Nazi Germany. For many years, these two seminar series have been presented in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Recently the program has been expanded to cater for students and their teachers across the state, with additional presentations in Townsville, Rockhampton and Bundaberg, and an extra seminar presented by Dr Andrew Bonnell at the University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus.

With some necessary staffing changes, this extended program continues in 2016.

Professional development

In addition to the Student Seminars, Dr Brian Hoepper and Mr Ian Gray also presented a series of ‘twilight’ professional development workshops for teachers in Townsville, Rockhampton, and Bundaberg. These were aimed at teachers of upper primary and middle school, and were very successful. In addition, the former and current District Panel Chairs from the Townsville region, under the leadership of Dr Peta Salta (James Cook University) presented a half-day workshop to teachers on senior assessment design. This was also very well received, and we would like to thank the presenters for sharing their extensive experiences with those who attended.

The QHTA State Conference was held in June at Brisbane Girls Grammar School. Professor Martin Crotty presented the keynote on the legacy of the ANZAC legend. This presentation, and the many workshops on the day, were highly valued by those who attended, and we thank our presenters and conference delegates for their support. It was wonderful to see new names on the program, as well as those who have supported the State Conference for years.

Competitions

It has been fantastic to see more schools and students entering the National History Challenge, the Simpson Prize and the QHTA Historical Writing competitions. Each year the standard is raised and the array of topics continues to grow. It has been heartening to see that many schools have now recognised that these competitions can fit into their normal assessment plan without the need to increase the workload for students or staff. We continue to promote the competitions in 2016.

Senior curriculum

The Senior Phase of Learning in Queensland is in a process of transition, with the following changes being introduced in the next one to four years:

• Phasing out of the Queensland Core Skills Test (QCS Test)

• Introduction of a percentage of external, subject-based assessment for Year 11 and 12 students to supplement internal assessment – this will involve the re-writing of all senior subjects. Some members of our Executive have been heavily involved in these projects.

• Revision of the external moderation process and the Panel system.

7 HTAA e-Bulletin April 2016

Vale

In June 2015, Dr Russell Cowie passed away. Dr Cowie was a QHTA founding member, Executive member, Vice-President, inaugural life member, patron and tireless worker for QHTA and the field of historical education. Dr Cowie taught at a number of Queensland schools before taking on a teaching role at the University of Queensland. He was the author of a considerable number of student history textbooks and reference books for teachers. In recognition of Dr Cowie’s immense contribution to the history teaching profession, QHTA will be establishing an award in his name to acknowledge other teachers who distinguish themselves in the field.

Sadly, Mr Ian Gray passed away after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. Only months earlier, Mr Gray had been presenting Student Seminars and professional development across the State with Dr Hoepper. He was also known for his committed involvement with QHTA, particularly as a former member of the Executive, for his innovative presentations at conferences, and his passion for combining e-learning with the teaching of history.

Thank you to Dr Hoepper, and the Cowie and Gray families, for allowing us to publish in our annual print journal the professional eulogies for Dr Cowie and Mr Gray, whose contributions to the learning and teaching of history leave special legacies from which we all benefit.

Plans for 2016

The QHTA Executive has renewed its commitment to:

• Increase the number of professional development workshops across the State. These will take the form of afterschool/twilight sessions and weekend events, and focus on the learning and teaching of history in both the primary and secondary context.

• Continue to offer Senior Student Seminars in the regional areas, not just in the South-East, and expand this program in 2016.

• Host our annual State Conference (25 June, Brisbane Girls Grammar School).

• Continue online support of teachers via our Facebook page and Google Discussion Group.

• Continue to support school participation in competitions.

• Continue to work with the QCAA in the development of new syllabuses and assessment materials.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the QHTA Executive and our Executive Officer, Sandra Kenman, who all give generously of their time and expertise to support history education in Queensland. I would also like to thank the many people who have presented at our events, attended workshops, seminars and conferences, entered their students in competitions or submitted articles for publication. The ever increasing strength of our Association is the dedication of our members to ensure that our students receive the best possible history education.

Pip Macdonald

President, QHTA

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New South Wales T: 02 9518 4940 W: http://htansw.asn.au

We are delighted to report on the great success of our first ‘offshore’ conference, ‘Paradise with a Past’, held on Norfolk Island in January 2016 in collaboration with the Norfolk Island Central School. Over 50 delegates from all around Australia (except WA), along with many partners and families, enjoyed a feast of Norfolk and Pacific history, with lectures, workshops and guided tours focusing on Melanesian and Polynesian influences, convict settlements and the fascinating Bounty and Pitcairn history. A special feature was the ‘Fletcher Christian Cyclorama’, a moving artistic representation of the Bounty and Pitcairn narratives. There was plenty of time for swimming in Emily Bay and snorkelling out to the reef to see the colourful coral and tropical fish. If you plan a trip to Norfolk, do go with Rebecca Christian and her team at the Norfolk Island Travel Centre and enjoy a wonderful evening at the ‘Jolly Roger’, a newly opened bistro with musical maestro Matt Zarb to entertain you.

Norfolk Island, site of ‘Paradise with a Past’ conference. Another highlight of 2015 was the July State Conference held at Sydney University. Visiting UK historian Sir Richard Evans, the keynote, attracted large numbers and his presentations and book signing sessions were standing-room-only affairs. A total of 450 teachers attended over the two days. Sir Richard also spoke at seminars and public forums in Newcastle and Canberra. Special thanks are owed to Paul Kiem, our Professional Officer, for the months of work leading up to the conference in securing speakers and organising, publishing and co-ordinating the program. Richard Evans’ visit was sponsored by Academy Travel, with whom HTANSW has forged a strong partnership in recent years.

At the State Conference dinner, the biennial Renee Erdos Award, named for the founder of HTANSW, was presented to Kate Cameron (see picture on page 1). Kate is a long-time member of the HTANSW Executive, journal editor and former HTANSW and HTAA President. Kate has been honoured for her long career contribution to high school, pre-service teacher education, mentoring and professional development of teachers, publications, and her work as Senior Assessment Officer at the NSW Board of Studies. A richly deserved award! Congratulations Kate!

Two members of the HTANSW Executive received Professional Teachers’ Council Outstanding Professional Service awards in 2015. They were Anne Gripton and Robyn McKenzie, both active members of our committee who have made major contributions to the Executive in their time with us (see picture on page 1). For the past 7 years, Robyn has co-ordinated the very popular and successful HTA History Mastermind Competition conducted in the western Sydney region: each year over 30 schools and more than 400 students participate in a history trivia quiz on topics from the Year 7 and 8 Australian Curriculum. Anne Gripton, now a seasoned presenter at teacher Professional Learning and student Study Days, publishes a regular column on web and digital resources for history teachers and students in our journal, Teaching History. Anne was selected as the HTAA Gandel Scholar to attend the 18 day Gandel Holocaust Studies Program for Teachers in Jerusalem during January 2016. Catherine Bavell with Sir Richard Evans at the 2015 State Conference.

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New South Wales, cont.

HTANSW has continued its sponsorship of two scholarships in the Premier’s History Scholarships program. The 2015 winners were Rebekah Poole of Knox Grammar School and Sharon Champagne from Bega High School (pictured below).

Sharon began her study tour to Indonesia in March 2016 to research the Indonesian independence movement and subsequent events, including the presidency of Sukarno. Sharon speaks Indonesian and is keen to use her scholarship to develop resources and teaching ideas to strengthen the study of Asia-Pacific topics in the Modern History curriculum.

Rebekah completed her study tour to Ireland in January 2016. She focused her tour on the 1916 Easter Rising, Michael Collins and the late twentieth-century ‘troubles.’ Rebecca is also the author of the Irish studies section of the AlphaHistory.com website.

Our program of renewal and generational change in the HTA NSW Executive is well in hand. At the 2015 AGM in October we welcomed a number of new members, all with varied and considerable teaching, leadership and history expertise. They are: Dr Catherine Arends, Catherine Bavell, Ashley Chee Quee, Jonathon Dallimore, Cimen Fevzi and Pete Wilson. The 2016 Premier’s HTA History Scholarship winners, Rebekah Poole (left) and Sharon Champagne (right), with NSW Minister for Education, the Hon. Adrian Piccoli. This year, NSW’s senior Ancient, Modern and Extension syllabuses are all being reviewed by BOSTES, with a draft syllabus for each to be published. NSW will host the HTAA National Conference at Sydney Grammar School between 28-30 September. Our conference theme is ‘Challenging History’. See more information on page 3.

Best wishes to all our interstate colleagues for a very successful academic year!

Toni Hurley

President, HTANSW

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South Australia E: [email protected] W: http://htasa.org.au

In the last 12 months HTASA has continued to expand as a progressive association which provides professional development for History teachers and promotes the development of the teaching of History throughout South Australia. We are grateful for the service from our committee, led by President Paul Foley, Vice-President Malcolm Massie, Treasurer Roger Williams and Secretary David Albano. Highlights of the past year included a ‘Refresher Day’ which provided valuable support for our Year 12 teachers who continue to embrace the changes to the SACE History curriculum. Our State Conference was held at the State Library of South Australia on 7 August 2015, with the theme of ‘History, Commemoration and Memory’. The keynote was given by Professor Stuart Macintyre. An exciting initiative has been the Saturday morning workshops under the title ‘History is the Name of the Game.’ Led by Vice-President Malcolm Massie and Mandi Dimitriadis, these Saturday morning workshops, which have targeted pre-service and early career teachers, have proven to be incredibly popular. We are also thankful for Flinders University, which worked in partnership with us in the provision of the first workshop, held in March this year. Our revision lectures for Stage 2 History students also continue to be popular. These were held at two venues, the first being Trinity College, Gawler and the second being the University of Adelaide. Filomena Isles, Competitions Co-ordinator, organised our successful NHC 2015 Presentation Ceremony in November at the State Library of SA , where we were joined by special guest Mr Alan Smith, Director State Library of SA. In October we dispatched a ‘flying squad’ of committee members to conduct our first regional professional development day. Led by Vice-President Malcolm Massie, Elizabeth Heuzonroeder, Daryl Best and David Albano journeyed to Loxton where they conducted workshops to teachers from regional schools in the Riverland. The day also incorporated a Year 12 Revision presentation for local students. The entire day was a tremendous success for both teachers and students and the provision of professional development to regional schools will continue to be a focus of our association. On Friday 30 October the Council of Educational Associations of SA hosted the World Teachers Association Awards Ceremony. This annual event is a time to pause and celebrate the achievements of our fellow teachers. We can collectively celebrate, as the HTASA was awarded the Innovative Association Award for 2015. This is a marvellous recognition of the work conducted by the HTASA committee in designing and delivering professional development using a variety of methods and activities. Well done HTASA! This is a well-deserved pat on the back for our volunteer organisation! The HTASA is appreciative of the support it receives from the community of History teachers in SA. We are proud of our achievements over this past year. We will continue to pursue exciting new initiatives and endeavours in the provision of quality professional development and maintenance of productive relationships with the broader history community of South Australia. Paul Foley President HTASA

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Victoria T: 03 9417 3422 E: [email protected] W: http://htav.asn.au

2015 was a particularly busy year for HTAV. Most significantly in the second half of the year, Ingrid Purnell settled into her new role of Executive Officer, a position she has fully embraced. Ingrid showed her diligence and capability as the year progressed, finishing 2015 with a clear sense of purpose and intent for the Association’s coming years. 2015 featured a record number of events being held by the Association, and I feel that it may be some time before that record is broken. July’s Annual Conference was, as always, a highlight of the year as Flemington Racecourse was filled with hundreds of enthusiastic history educators and exhibitors. The two-day event ran smoothly and the connections made between teachers and the broader history education sphere only helped to strengthen our collective craft of inspiring others with a love of the study of the past. Soon afterwards, HTAV played host to the HTAA National Conference and we were delighted to welcome delegates and colleagues from around the country (and beyond) once again to Flemington for three days of inspiration. The three keynote speakers, Professor Sheila Fitzpatrick, Mr Bruce Pascoe and Assoc. Prof. Stephane Levesque, helped us start each day in a focused and thoughtful way and the variety of sessions across the conference demonstrated the talent of so many different people. Another highlight was the conference dinner at which former Victorian Premier John Cain spoke. It was a wonderful way for so many colleagues to come together in a less formal environment to enjoy each other’s company over some fine food and wine. With so many changes to curriculum at all levels in Victoria, HTAV Publishing is working hard to deliver the largest new publications release in the Association’s history. This includes new textbooks on twentieth century history, revolutions and ancient history, to name a few. In addition, staff are working a new digital hub, HistoryEd, which will host a varied range of resources. The new VCE courses are also being supported by many targeted professional learning events. The HTAV staff and the newly-elected Board are very excited about 2016 and beyond, and we look forward to working with the other affiliates as we all continue to support history education. Ashley Wood President, HTAV ABOVE (top to bottom): Mr Bruce Pascoe delivers his keynote at the HTAA National Conference; Mr Paul Foley with Prof. Sheila Fitzpatrick and Mr Ashley Wood; former Victorian Premier John Cain with his wife Nancy (both seated) with Assoc. Prof. Stephane Levesque (seated right) with Mr Paul Foley, Mr Ashley Wood, Ms Ingrid Purnell and Ms Meri Rametta (standing, left to right).

Flemington Racecourse, the site of the 2015 HTAA National Conference.

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Tasmania E: [email protected] W: http://thtaonline.wordpress.com

2015 proved to be a busy year for the Tasmanian History Teachers’ Association (THTA).

The THTA has formed an association with the Footsteps towards Freedom Project, which will tell the story of the 13,000 convict women and their 2000 children who arrived in Tasmania between 1803 and 1853. The project aims to build an art installation on the waterfront, and the internationally acclaimed sculptor Rowan Gillespie has been commissioned for the task. Gillespie has created a number of evocative sculptures around the world, including those on the Dublin waterfront to commemorate the Irish Famine. The THTA has offered to assist in the production of teaching resources for the project and to assist in the historical research itself, if possible.

Early in 2015, the THTA assisted in the co-ordination of a visit by military historian Dr John Greenacre from the UK. Dr Greenacre is the World War I Centenary Co-ordinator for Suffolk and visited Tasmania as a guest of the State Government. The THTA co-ordinated his visit to a number of schools across the state to work with both students and teachers. Dr Greenacre also worked with the members of our North-West cluster and was impressed with their project to commemorate World War I in coastal communities.

Our annual launch of the National History Challenge was well attended and attracted a number of teachers new to the competition. Teachers were given the opportunity to workshop ideas around the 2015 theme ‘Leadership and Legacy’ and benefited from hearing from the 2014 Young Historian of the Year, Angus Christie, who made a short presentation about his winning entry and his love of history.

Our main professional learning activity in 2015 was the biennial State Conference, held at Ogilvie High School in August. A small, intimate affair, the conference was very well received by attendees and many asked for more of the same. Dr Rosalie Triolo from Victoria delivered the keynote address and held two workshops at the conference. Workshops were also provided by education faculty members of the University of Tasmania, ROAR Films, primary and secondary teachers and staff from the Port Arthur Historic Site.

Members of the THTA Committee have attended a number of information sessions conducted by the Network of Education Associations of Tasmania (NEAT). NEAT offers important information and discussion about topical education issues facing Tasmania and the country as a whole.

In October, teachers were treated to a performance from Damien Callinan in The Lost Diaries of World War I. This one-man play, based on the diaries and letters of Pte Paddy Callinan, was both hilarious and incredibly moving. Following the performance, teachers were given an opportunity to explore ways in which this performance and other dramatic forms could be incorporated into History classrooms.

A workshop entitled ‘The Power of Words and Fact through Fiction’ was presented at Ogilvie High School in November. Presented by Marie Bornadelli from the Sydney Jewish Museum, the workshop explored letters from the Holocaust and historical fiction. This professional learning opportunity was provided as a joint THTA and Tasmanian Association for the Teaching of English (TATE) venture and we look forward to joining forces in future for more professional learning events across the Humanities. Conversations have also taken place between the THTA and the Aboriginal Education Service and we hope to offer similar joint professional learning opportunities this year.

The THTA AGM took place in March we have a range of events planned for 2016.

Wendy Frost

President, THTA

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ACT E: [email protected] W: http://acthta.wikispaces.com

The ACTHTA continues to punch above its weight, thanks to the efforts of our willing and hard working committee. I would like to express particular thanks to Hilary Brettell (Treasurer), Chris Kenna (Secretary), Liz McGinnes (NHC representative) and Alison Marks (Primary Liaison Officer) for all their hard work and assistance during the year. We enjoy close and productive relationships with our national institutions and Margaret Fleming (NAA), Liz Allen (DVA) , Deb Sulway (MoAD), and Angela Casey and Amanda Paroz (NMA) have been key figures in our activities throughout the year. We thank them for their efforts and practical support.

The associations formed with local institutions in recent years continue to be invaluable in our professional learning programs for local teachers. Our first session for 2015 was held on 26 February in conjunction with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the National Museum of Australia, and focused on ANZAC resources and commemorations for the centenary year. We also launched the NHC and Simpson Prize at this afternoon. It was the first time we charged for attendance at these events, but over 70 primary and secondary teachers took up the opportunity.

In June we had a second session for 40 teachers at the NMA, this time on Teaching History in the Primary School, presented by National Museum of Australia staff. The feedback from both of these activities was enthusiastic, with teachers expressing gratitude for both the opportunities and the quality of the presentations.

ACTHTA was also involved in a regional PD session with HTANSW at the University of Canberra, where Ann Parry presented a session on Scootle.

We ran another stall at an Information Fair, hosted by the Department of Education, to inform teachers and other interested parties of the work done by the Association, with a similar stall at the Australian Catholic University. These are becoming annual events.

In addition, members attended the Summer School, from 18-23 January 2015 at UNSW/ADFA, with Professor Peter Stanley. The success of this venture would appear to encourage a repeat for teachers from other states in coming years.

At the AGM we outlined a restructure of our membership structure and fees, which have not changed for several years, and began a trial of a new meeting day. New fees included the option to receive the HTANSW journal. Finances are healthy and membership continues to grow. We have also developed a new logo for the Association, which can be seen at the top of this report.

Our participation in the National History Challenge continues to increase, with extra primary and senior entries in 2015. In 2016, we plan a major PD session around the competition, in which we will:

• show teachers how entering student work in the Challenge can promote excellence.

• suggest curriculum topics relevant to the NHC.

• offer a support service offering help with ideas, logistics, form filling etc.

• run an expo featuring stalls by our wonderful supporters located in Canberra (e.g. DVA, NMA, NAA, AWM ). This would be mutually beneficial for teachers and the sponsors.

Our state presentation was held at Old Parliament House on 20 October, with Professor Frank Bongiorno from the ANU speaking. It was a very well-supported event, with most of the NHC’s sponsors attending and presenting awards. Professor Bongiorno gave an excellent speech on what it is like to be a professional historian and the afternoon seemed to be enjoyed by all. My thanks to MoAD for providing such a wonderful historic venue for us, and to committee members (particularly Hilary) who helped on the day.

Our tiny association continues to grow, with new and enthusiastic members joining recently, including more primary teachers.

Ann Parry

President , ACTHTA

14 HTAA e-Bulletin April 2016

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